Bali

For 16 years, my wife and I never get to travel together abroad. So this holiday, we went to Bali for a once-a-lifetime experience to destress ourselves and to give her what a wife ought to have. It wasn't really a holiday for me cos it cost a lot to live like a king.

Here's my experience in Bali from a Singaporean perspective. People say that Singaporeans are generally picky, petty and complain a lot. We are so conditioned to a high standard of living that when we are in a different environment, we can't help complaining about it. We are spoilt.

The prices in Bali are more expensive than Singapore. They charge 3 x the normal price. If their starting price is $10, ask for $2 and then raise it to $3. If you think you can get a good bargain in Bali, forget about it, unless you know from a local insider what the local price is.

In Bali, a highway is defined as a road with 2 lanes. All roads are one-lane. In Singapore, all roads are two-lane and a highway is four-lane.

Most motorists wear helmet. But some don't. It's their choice. It's their lives. They are mature enough to think and decide for themselves. In contrast, in Singapore, we are not governed by choice, but by the law. Abide by the law or you will be fined. In Singapore, motorists have to wear helmets cos the law say so.

We stayed in a village hotel. It is like a chalet, with a courtyard garden, and authentic paintings on the wall. It was an authentic Bali setting. I observed that the staff do not clean the furniture. It was dusty. To them, dust is nature, and that's something to live with. Not in Singapore.

There were bats flying round and round outside our room. The mosquitoes were having a bloody good time in our room. We had mutiple mosquito bites. We were sucked by those blood suckers.

In the evening, the restaurant had a live band. Guests were allowed to join in the singing. I'm not sure if that would be allowed in Singapore.

What's attractive in Bali was the sight of the rice terrace, the old temples (some older than a thousand years), the lakes, the mountains, the Bali dances, the sea, and the exquisite handicraft by craftmen. The customer services were friendly. They make small talk.

Compared to Singapore, we pale. I have never once hear our shop keepers make small talk with customers. We don't have natural beauty to boast of. Sentosa is fake. We don't have many old buildings to remind us of our past. The old YMCA is gone. The old Cathay building is gone. The dear old Library is gone. The Victoria theatre is gone. There is little to remind us of our past.

We don't have a past. We have nothing to remind us of our roots. Our knowledge of our own dialects are lost forever cos we are not allowed to watch TV programmes in dialect or listen to radio in our dialect. I remembered when I was young, we are entranced by the stories by the Cantonese 'Lei Tai Sor'. We can't wait to sit by the Rediffision radio for the next installment of the story. Modernisation has empty our soul.

In Bali, people give offering of flowers to the Gods three times a day. The offering adorn their houses, their shops and even their vehicles. At every full moon, they visit the temples. The Bali are spiritually minded.

The dances and the stories depicted on TV are always a reflection of good versus evil. In the end, good triumphs over evil.

Many of the lands are still in their natural state. If Bali is in Singapore, we would have convert every swamp to concrete, and every old building would be demolished. We would have remove the souls and the characters that inhabit these objects. Just take a look at the buildings in Singapore. Does it have a soul or a character?

I had a chat with the Abung who man the cybercafe. It cost 80 cents per half hour. He said he looks after the kid at home in the morning while his wife works. In the evening, his wife takes over the care of the home while he work in the cybercafe until 11pm. He feels tired. He didn't get to spend time with his wife.

Tourism is the number revenue earner for Bali. We went to the Legian Beach where the waves were high enough for the surfers. We were swamped with people offering a myriad of services- from massage, plaiting of hair, nail painting, temporary tattooing and all sorts. We were like a cash cows walking on the beach. We are hounded. I didn't like that. We could not enjoy the sunset peacefully.

I discovered that my tour guide is a freelancer. That means he works for more than one tour agency. He is paid on commission.

The curry are so mild. It wasn't spicy. It was tailored for the Aussie tongues. Most of the Chinese dishes in the menu are of the sweet-and-sour type with pork. Isn't that a stereotype of Chinese food?

My favourite food was the prawns grilled in banana leaf.

In departure hall, we had McDonald for lunch. The signboard says we have to wait for 15 minutes for our meals. Never heard of that before. It came to us in a paperbag. I had a plate of noodle. That cost me $6.

At the gate, I saw many Chinese. I heard the Singapore accent. I feel at home already. Two hours 15 minutes later, Garuda touched down.

More than $2,000. Seven days. Just for a few seconds standing at the thousand year old cliff to catch a glimpse of the sea. And capture the spirit of Bali and keep it in my heart forever.

Today is Today

My 4-year-old daughter Sarah said to me, "Today is today. Tomorrow is tomorrow."
It's simple yet profound.

The Ingredient for Happiness

Charles Kingsley:

"We act as though comfort and luxury were the chief requirements of life when all that we need to be really happy is something to be enthusiastic about."

Money is Expensive

The Wisdom of a Child

"Money is very expensive," says my 4-year old daughter, Sarah.

The Making of a Journalist

Yesterday I signed up for the Diploma in Journalism.
There are seven joining me for now.
It's a small school, but the service was personal.
The career counsellor made me a cup of hot Chinese tea.
I bet you don't find that kind of service in any school.
My teacher-to-be had an informal 'interview' with me.

Today is my payday. And I literally empty every cent from my salary for this course.
Now I am literally empty - in my bank account, in my wallet, in my pocket.
To exchange all I have in my wallet, for a chance to learn a skill that will keep me alive, hopefully for the rest of my life.

When you drive a person to the edge, there is only one way, and there is no turning back. The desperation for survival and the hunger could drive a person to the extreme. Success is no longer an option.

My pores are open to every word of wisdom dripping from the lecturer's mouth cos his time are paid with sweat and pain. I cannot afford to fail cos the price I had paid is too high.

My mission is to earn back the course fees before the course ends.
Write and be published.

DO or DIE.

Words of Wisdom For new Graduates

I heard graduation speeches. They are usually very boring. By people we hardly know. Their messages hardly connects emotionally to us.

But this speech by this lady must be the best I ever know. She's 50-year-old Carly Fiorina, the ex HP CEO. I think every graduate should read her speech as a required reading.

Here's some gem of wisdom, excerpt from her speech:

"...When you challenge other people's ideas of who or how you should be, they may try to diminish and disgrace you. You can spend a lifetime resenting the tests, angry about the slights and the injustices. Or, you can rise about it.

"People's ideas and fears can make them small - but they cannot make you small. People's prejudices can diminsh them - but they cannot diminish you.

"Small-minded people can think they can determine your worth. But only you can determine your worth.

"At every step along the way, your soul will be tested. Every test you pass will make you stronger.

"But let's not be naive. Sometimes , there are consequences to staying true to what you believe. But as long as you understand the consequences and accept the consequences, you are not only stronger as a result, you're more at peace.

"...I know that people who have learnt to overcome much can achieve more than people who've never beent ested.

"Never sell your education short....What I have learnt in 25 years of managing people is that everyone possesses more potential than they realise.

"Living life defined by your own sense of possibility, not by others' notions of limitations, is the path to success.

"What you are today is God's gift to you. What youmake of yourself is your gift to God. He is waiting for that gift ight now. Make it something extraordinary."

Kids Talk

Sarah, my 4-year-old daughter is the joy of my life. I can't imagine living without her. When I left the house for the toastmasters meeting yesterday, she wailed at the door because she wanted to join me. I left with a heavy heart. It's no place for a kid because it is hard to keep still for 3 hours.

One day I asked her, "Darling, what do you want to be when you grow up?"

"Mother," she said.

"What do you want to do as a mother?" I asked.

"Cook, eat, drink water, go out, read books"

"To be a mother you must marry. So who are you going to marry?"

"I want to marry you!". She laughed.

Books are Fatal

Books are Fatal

"Books are fatal; they are the curse of the human race. Nine-tenths of existing books ar nonsense, and the clever books are the refutation of that nonsense."

Writing is a Therapy

Writing is a Therapy

Schapelle Corby, an Australian, was arrested in Indonesia for alleged drug smuggling.

She is writing a book in prison about her ordeal, which she hopes might one day be a best-seller and an inspiration to others who find themselves in trouble. Her Indonesian doctor said that she suggested to Corby that she write a book as part of her therapy, to cope with her ordeal.

"Maybe one day it will be a best-seller and if it becomes a book, we hope it will help others," the doctor said.

Writing a journal is a good form of therapy. It is form of outlet for the pent-up emotions. It helps you to understand yourself, and what you think. You become your own best friend.

If you are suffering, don't waste it. If you survive the ordeal, you could encourage others by your example. Those who are weak need all the encouragement they need to survive. They need to know they are not alone. They need to know that they can overcome and survive the ordeal, and hopefully to become a stronger, and better person.

The Lost Children

The Lost Children

Noble intentions are not good enough.

Long ago, the Australian govt took the children of the aborigines to be adopted by the white.

In the early 1880s and 1967, some 130,000 children were exported from Great Britain. It was a scheme to help the homeless, needy and abandoned children.

Even today, our govt took the children from their families in the name of protection.
The child is held hostage against her will.

British author Sara Benerji wrote about the effect of the most misguided social intervention in Great Britain.

She said, "It worries me that weaker creatures are under the power of stronger ones. Having your own parents is very important, more important than having perfect homes. These children were held hostage and it was just horrible...They had their very identity denied to them"

It reminds me of a tree that falls in the deep forest. How can the world hear of it?